A protest took place today outside Oxford Town Hall against Oxford City Council’s plan to sell 11 New Road to St Peter’s College, which would convert most of the building into student housing. The protest, organised by the campaign group Save Our Spaces, was held at 5.30pm, ahead of the Council’s Cabinet vote on the sale of the building.
The Council-owned building, a mixed-use property on the edge of St Peter’s estate, houses a six-bedroom flat leased to the College and three other businesses: Castle News, Classy Barbers, and American Nails. Under the College’s plan, it would convert all but the ground floor into 24 student rooms and add an extra floor. The proposal is subject to planning permission.
A petition opposing the sale of the building, launched on 11th September by the campaign group Save Our Spaces, has gathered over 400 signatures by the time of publication. A spokesperson for Save Our Spaces told Cherwell: “Once again, the City Council is selling off community space to serve the University’s land grab. These three businesses serve thousands of local people and are much loved by the local community. But they have been treated with total contempt by the Council and St Peter’s College, who have been drawing up plans behind their backs to kick them out.”
The spokesperson added that selling a publicly owned building that brings in “well over £100,000 per year in rent” is “an incredibly short-sighted strategy”.
The Council told Cherwell: “St Peter’s College… approached the Council with a proposal to acquire the property, and terms have subsequently been negotiated. The decision to dispose of the freehold title will generate a capital receipt that can be used to support the provision of investment in and services for communities in Oxford which otherwise would not be affordable.”
They added that the sale would “remove future liabilities associated with the property”, as a “significant future expenditure would be required” if it kept the property.
In their statement to Cherwell, the Council disputed “misinformation” and claims that have “circulated online about the loss of community space as a result of the sale”, as the building is part of its commercial portfolio and has only commercial tenants.
The proposal would also see two of the three businesses continuing to operate, as St Peter’s is “proposing modifications to the upper floors and basement, not the retail on the ground floor”, according to the Council. St Peter’s similarly told Cherwell that it “plans to retain the business tenants, Castle News and Classy Barbers, occupying the ground floor of the building”. However, the floor occupied by the third tenant, American Nails, would be converted into student accommodation.
St Peter’s added that “this project is in line with the College’s strategic commitment to increase the amount of College accommodation available to students who would otherwise be out on Oxford’s private rental market”. The intended purchase follows St Peter’s recent expansion on New Road, including Castle Bailey Quad, a 54 en-suite room Passivhaus development, which the College opened in 2024.
The College’s plan is the latest in a series of disputes over college and University developments in Oxford. In February, residents objected to Oxford University Development’s plans for redeveloping 25 Wellington Square, which houses several independent businesses. In April, the Council rejected Regent Park’s plans to convert the Oxfam Bookshop on St Giles’ Street into its Middle Common Room.
